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Am J Surg Pathol 2021 May 27. Epub 2021 May 27.

Departments of Pathology Oncology Ophthalmology Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD Institute of Pathology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, University Hospital, Erlangen, Germany Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital Department of Pathology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Department of Pathology, University Health Network, Toronto, ON Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY Department of Pathology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX Department of Pathology, Kaiser Permanente Walnut Creek Medical Center, Walnut Creek, CA Department of Head and Neck Pathology, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.

A novel DEK-AFF2 fusion was recently reported in 4 nonkeratinizing squamous cell carcinomas of the sinonasal region and skull base, including 1 with exceptional response to immunotherapy, but it is not yet clear if this rearrangement defines a unique clinicopathologic category or represents a rare event. This study aims to characterize a larger cohort of carcinomas with DEK-AFF2 fusions to assess whether they truly constitute a distinctive entity. Among 27 sinonasal and skull base nonkeratinizing squamous cell carcinoma that were negative for human papillomavirus and Epstein-Barr virus, RNA sequencing identified DEK-AFF2 fusions in 13 cases (48%). Read More

BMC Cancer 2021 May 12;21(1):540. Epub 2021 May 12.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Addis Ababa University College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Background: Nasopharyngeal cancer is distinguished from other cancers of the head and neck in its epidemiology, histopathology, clinical characteristics, and therapeutic outcome. Its unique clinico-epidemiologic pattern of the disease is an area focus for this investigation. Accordingly, the study investigated the demographic and histologic characteristics, as well as the clinical stage at presentation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients at Tikur Anbessa Specialized hospital. Read More

Cancer Res Treat 2021 Mar 26. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Department of Radiation Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the treatment outcomes of locally recurrent nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) patients following moderate hypo-fractionation re-irradiation (re-RT).

Materials And Methods: Sixty locally recurrent NPC patients underwent hypo-fractionation re-RT. 48. Read More

Clin Case Rep 2021 Mar 22;9(3):1350-1353. Epub 2021 Jan 22.

Department of Radiation Oncology Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre Melbourne Vic. Australia.

We report a case of synchronous p16+ SCC involving both the nasopharynx and base of tongue treated with definitive chemo-radiotherapy with concurrent high dose cisplatin. The nasopharyngeal lesion was detected incidentally on PET/CT imaging. Head and neck clinicians treating p16+ SCC should consider the possibility of synchronous lesions, including lesions which may be located in the lymphoid tissue of the nasopharynx. Read More

Front Pharmacol 2020 29;11:607413. Epub 2021 Jan 29.

School of Chinese Medicine, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a head and neck cancer involving epithelial squamous-cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx that mainly occurs in individuals from East and Southeast Asia. We investigated whether Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) as a complementary therapy offers benefits to these patients. We retrospectively evaluated the Taiwan Cancer Registry (Long Form) database for patients with advanced NPC, using or not using CHM, between 2007-2013. Read More

Oral Oncol 2021 04 12;115:105184. Epub 2021 Feb 12.

Otorhinolaryngology Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain.

Objective: Over the last few decades, there have been changes in the diagnostic capabilities and treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. However, the impact of these changes on the ultimate survival of patients remains unclear. The objective of this study was to analyze the changes in disease-specific survival of patients with HNSCC treated consecutively over a period of 30 years in a tertiary center. Read More

J Immunother Cancer 2021 02;9(2)

Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, Humanitas Clinical and Research Center - IRCSS, Humanitas Cancer Center, Milan, Italy

By the beginning of the global pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 infection has dramatically impacted on oncology daily practice. In the current oncological landscape, where immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment of several malignancies, distinguishing between COVID-19 and immune-mediated pneumonitis can be hard because of shared clinical, radiological and pathological features. Indeed, their common mechanism of aberrant inflammation could lead to a mutual and amplifying interaction. Read More

Front Oncol 2020 20;10:560434. Epub 2021 Jan 20.

Department of Pathology, GROW-School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands.

Objective: Determine the presence and prognostic value of human papillomavirus (HPV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), and cell cycle proteins in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) of non-smokers and non-drinkers (NSND).

Methods: Clinical characteristics and tumors of 119 NSND with HNSCC were retrospectively collected and analyzed on tissue microarrays. RNAscope hybridization (ISH) was used to screen for the presence of HPV and MCPyV mRNA. Read More

Mediators Inflamm 2020 30;2020:6716908. Epub 2020 Dec 30.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.

Background: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common malignancy that emanates from the lips, mouth, paranasal sinuses, oropharynx, larynx, nasopharynx, and from other pharyngeal cancers. The availability of high-throughput expression data has made it possible to use global gene expression data to analyze the relationship between metabolic-related gene expression and clinical outcomes in HNSCC patients.

Method: In this study, we used RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA), with validation in the GEO dataset to profile the metabolic microenvironment and define potential biomarkers for metabolic therapy. Read More

Gulf J Oncolog 2020 Sep;1(34):83-86

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Hospital Tuanku Ja'afar, Jalan Rasah, 70300 Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.

Introduction: Basaloid squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx is a rare entity with only scarce cases reported in the English Literature. It is a histological variant of squamous cell carcinoma with aggressive nature and comprises of both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Case Presentation: Herein, we report on a middleaged male who presented with left-sided spontaneous epistaxis and aural fullness with no neck node which turned out to be basaloid cell carcinoma of nasopharynx. Read More

Signal Transduct Target Ther 2021 Jan 8;6(1). Epub 2021 Jan 8.

Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37, Guo Xue Alley, 610041, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.

Primary pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (pLELC) is a rare non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) subtype. Clinical features have been described in our previous report, but molecular characteristics remain unclear. Herein, pLELC genomic features were explored. Read More

BMC Res Notes 2021 Jan 7;14(1):11. Epub 2021 Jan 7.

Department of Nursing, School of Nursing & Midwifery, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Objective: Impaired swallowing is a primary medical concern in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. Swallowing therapy and supportive care to relieve swallowing problems among HNC patients are recommended. However, no data shows the effect of dysphagia on the quality of life (QoL) among Ethiopian patients. Read More

Radiother Oncol 2021 03 29;156:201-208. Epub 2020 Dec 29.

Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, United States. Electronic address:

Background And Purpose: To quantify the survival impact of prolongation of definitive radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer in a national, modern cohort, and to identify predictive factors for prolongation.

Materials And Methods: The National Cancer Database was queried for adults with non-metastatic cancer of the nasopharynx, oropharynx, larynx, or hypopharynx diagnosed 2004-2015, treated with definitive RT to 66-70 Gy in 30-35 fractions at 2-2.2 Gy per fraction. Read More

Cytopathology 2021 May 31;32(3):385-388. Epub 2020 Dec 31.

Manchester Cytology Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation, Manchester, UK.

BJR Case Rep 2020 Dec 21;6(4):20200005. Epub 2020 Aug 21.

Department of Radiation Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital, 5-1-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.

High-dose-rate interstitial brachytherapy (HDR-ISBT) is relatively rarely applied for the head and neck cancer because of its anatomical complexity and difficulty of applicator placement. However, its dose distribution is more confined even better than intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) and can deliver a higher dose while sparing surrounding normal tissues. In this case report, the effectiveness of HDR-ISBT as a boost following IMRT for keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma of nasopharynx was presented. Read More

Nucl Med Commun 2021 Feb;42(2):216-224

Nuclear Medicine.

Objective: To assess the role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in initial staging of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and its impact on changing the management compared to other conventional methods.

Patients And Methods: A prospective study of 31 patients (21 male and 10 female), mean age 49.3 ± 12. Read More

J Clin Pathol 2020 Nov 1. Epub 2020 Nov 1.

Department of Pathology, Peking University Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

Aims: Somatostatin receptor 2a (SSTR2a) is an important diagnostic marker of meningioma and neuroendocrine tumours and is frequently expressed in primary and metastatic non-keratinising nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NK-NPC). Since NK-NPC cases are considered a kind of lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELCs) which originate from the nasopharynx, information on the expression profile of SSTR2a in LELC in other sites with squamous and glandular differentiations is still lacking. This study aimed to assess the expression of SSTR2a in LELC of various organs and clarify its expression profile. Read More

JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2020 12;146(12):1136-1146

Department of Radiation Oncology, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Importance: Multidisciplinary care (MDC) yields proven benefits for patients with cancer, although it may be underused in the complex management of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Objective: To characterize the patterns of MDC in the treatment of HNSCC among elderly patients in the US.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This nationwide, population-based, retrospective cohort study used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare linked data from January 1, 1991, to December 31, 2011, to identify patients 66 years or older diagnosed with head and neck cancer and determine the dates of diagnosis, oncology consultations, treatment initiation, and speech therapy evaluation in addition to MDC completion. Read More

Head Neck Pathol 2020 Oct 21. Epub 2020 Oct 21.

Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Surgery, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPC) are non-keratinizing squamous cell carcinomas of the nasopharynx associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). When occurring outside of the nasopharynx, they are referred to as lymphoepithelioma-like carcinomas (LELCs) and present the same morphology as NPC. LELC have been described in other head and neck regions such as the salivary glands and the soft palate. Read More

Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2020 Dec 6;72(4):411-415. Epub 2020 Feb 6.

Osmania Medical College/Government ENT Hospital, Koti, Hyderabad, India.

Due to close anatomical relationship of eye with nose and sinuses it is liable to get involved secondary to sinonasal and nasopharyngeal pathology. Sinonasal and nasopharyngeal pathology may present with varied ophthalmic manifestations. Ocular involvement from sinonasal diseases occur due to direct spread to orbit, venous spread due to valveless nature of veins, cranial nerve involvement, nasolacrimal apparatus involvement and intracranial spread. Read More

JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2020 12;146(12):1158-1166

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada.

Importance: Although the survival impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is well known, there has been conflicting and scarce evidence on the role of HPV in non-OPSCC.

Objective: To undertake a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA)-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis of all published studies on the association between HPV status and survival outcomes in patients with non-OPSCC, analyzing each site separately.

Data Sources: PubMed, CINAHL, and Embase were searched from 1946 to December 16, 2019, for English-language articles. Read More

Laryngoscope 2021 04 15;131(4):E1179-E1189. Epub 2020 Sep 15.

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Fukuoka, Japan.

Objectives: Limited information exists regarding the associations between pre-existing immune parameters in the tumor immune microenvironment (TIM) and either chemoradiosensitivity or prognosis for patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the nasopharynx or oropharynx involving virus-related or nonvirus-related tumors.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 141 patients with EBV+, p16+, or EBV- and p16- statuses who are receiving chemoradiotherapy. Read More

Mol Biol Rep 2020 Oct 10;47(10):8075-8090. Epub 2020 Sep 10.

Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital, No. 150 Haping Road, Nangang District, Harbin, 150081, Heilongjiang, China.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the primary malignant tumor of the oral cavity, larynx, nasopharynx, esophagus and tongue. Although several novel therapeutic methods for HNSCC have been developed, the final therapeutic effect on the patient is still not satisfactory. Thus, it is imperative that scientists identify novel distinguishable markers with specific molecular characteristics that can be used in therapeutic and prognostic evaluation. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2020 09 8;13(9). Epub 2020 Sep 8.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head-Neck Surgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

Arab J Gastroenterol 2020 Dec 26;21(4):233-236. Epub 2020 Aug 26.

Department of Internal Medicine, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan.

Background And Study Aims: The aim of this study was to review all episodes of PEG insertion in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) at a cancer specialist centre.

Patients And Methods: Using a structured data extraction form, we abstracted patients' demographic data and clinical information including the primary site of tumour, TNM staging, whether PEG tube was inserted successfully, any complications resulting from PEG tube insertion and duration the tube was in place.

Results: We identified a total of 339 HNC patients who had received at least one attempted PEG tube insertion. Read More

Radiother Oncol 2020 10 14;151:126-133. Epub 2020 Aug 14.

Department of Experimental Clinical Oncology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.

Purpose: Hypoxic tumor volumes can be visualized with F-FAZA PET/CT. In head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), hypoxia is important for the clinical outcome after primary radiotherapy (RT). The outcome is furthermore heavily influenced by the HPV/p16-positivity of oropharyngeal tumors (OPCp16+ tumors). Read More

Lin Chung Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi 2020 May;34(5):436-440

Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery，Air Force Medical University First Affiliated Xijing Hospital，Xi'an，710032，China.

To discuss the diagnosis and treatment process of skull base osteoradionecrosis and improve the recognization of this disease. We reviewd skull base and nasopharyngeal osteoradionecrosis in 7 patients retrospectively, including 5 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, 1 squamous cell carcinoma of sphenoid sinus, 1 adenoid cystic carcinoma; 6 patientd received skull base debridement surgery and the other one attempted but failed because of her unstable condition. Follow-up period ranged from 3 to 31 months （mean 11. Read More

Pan Afr Med J 2020 9;36:82. Epub 2020 Jun 9.

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria.

Introduction: nasopharyngeal carcinoma is relatively common in our environment. It is one of the most difficult malignancies to diagnose at an early stage. The aim of the study was to determine the clinical features, clinical disease stage of nasopharyngeal carcinoma at presentation and at diagnosis as well as the histologic types at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria. Read More

Pediatr Dev Pathol 2020 Nov-Dec;23(6):448-452. Epub 2020 Aug 5.

St. Christopher's Hospital for Children-Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Carcinoma originating from the surface epithelium of the nasopharynx is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and has 3 main types: keratinizing squamous cell carcinoma (WHO type 1) and nonkeratinizing carcinoma, differentiated (WHO type II), and undifferentiated (WHO type III). Nonkeratinizing NPC is strongly associated with prior Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. These tumors may be divided into differentiated and undifferentiated carcinoma. Read More

Zhonghua Bing Li Xue Za Zhi 2020 Aug;49(8):800-805

Department of Pathology, the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China.

To compare the clinical and histopathological characteristics of cervical adenoid basal cell carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma for improving the diagnosis accuracy and differential diagnosis of these tumors. A retrospective study was conducted on 9 cases of cervical adenoid basal cell carcinoma and 3 cases of adenoid cystic carcinoma which were diagnosed and consulted at the First Medical Center of PLA General Hospital from March 2009 to April 2019. Detailed clinical data were reviewed. Read More